PETERBILT Complaints

SUBJECT: DISCREPANT TRACTOR TO TRAILER AIR HOSES MANUFACTURE BY PHILLIP INDUSTRIES. DISCREPANCY: PHILLIP INDUSTRIES AIR HOSES ASSEMBLED WITH NON-PERMANENTLY END FITTINGS FOR EMERGENCY AND SERVICE DO NOT HAVE A PROPER CONNECTION. ROADSIDE INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED AT THE PORT OF ENTRY AT BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS AND MATAMOROS, TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO HAS REVEALED THAT CMV EQUIPPED WITH AIR SUPPLY HOSES IDENTIFIED BY MANUFACTURE NAME PHILLIP INDUSTRIES REFERENCE PART NUMBER 11-312 ARE DISCREPANT. THE END FITTINGS USED TO ASSEMBLE THE GLAD HAND SIDE AND THE PERMANENT CONNECTION AT THE TRACTOR PROTECTION VALVE HAVE REVEALED THAT THE BRASS FITTING ARE IMPROPERLY JOINED BY SLIDING THE HOSE END OVER BRASS END PIECE. THE FMVSS 571-106 (S7.1) CALLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF EACH AIR BRAKE HOSE ASSEMBLY TO BE EQUIPPED WITH PERMANENTLY ATTACHED BRAKE HOSE END FITTINGS OR REUSABLE BRAKE HOSE END FITTINGS. PLUS THE NORTH AMERICAN STANDARD OUT-SERVICE CRITERIA HANDBOOK REFERENCE UNDER SECTION FOR BRAKE HOSE/TUBING STATES THAT; IMPROPERLY JOINED SUCH AS A SPLICE MADE BY SLIDING THE HOSE ENDS OVER A PIECE OF TUBING AND CLAMPING THE HOSE TO THE TUBE. (393.45(A) IS OUT OF SERVICE CONDITION. NOTE: PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *TR

BRAKES WOULD NOT HOLD WHILE IN PARK, BODY BUSHINGS AND SUPPORT IS WORN AND RUSTED. FUEL HAD LACK OF POWER AND EXCESSIVE FUEL SMELL AND WOULD NOT START WITH OUT STARTING FLUID AND WAS THE COLOR OF OFF ROAD DIESEL. *TR

PLEASE HELP ME TO FIND MY TRUCK. ITS WHITE PETERBILT 386 WITH REEFER UNIT ON BACK. THE INSURANCE WILL EXPIRE TODAY AND REGISTRATION WILL EXPIRE ON 31ST OF MARCH. MY COUSIN SUKHJEET VIRK WHO LIVES IN 4114 JADE CT, LANCASTER, CA TOOK THIS TRUCK AND NEVER RETURNED ME BACK. I HAVE BEEN CALLING HIM AND HIS WIFE FROM LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET THE TRUCKS BACK, BUT THEY ARE NOT RESPONDING TO OUR CALLS OR TEXT MESSAGES. *TR

UPON AN FIRE INVESTIGATION ON THIS PETERBILT THE SECONDARY POWER WIRE COMING FROM THE STARTER SHORTED OUT AGAINST THE ENGINE BLOCK OR GROUND WIRE. AS THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL EARLY I WILL HAVE A BETTER IDEA IN A FEW DAYS. I'M A HEAVY EQUIPMENT APPRAISER AND THIS IS ONE OF MY FLEETS THAT I LOOK AFTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 PETERBILT 388 TRUCK EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN XZA 2 ENERGY TIRES, SIZE 295-60-22.5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 66 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE MEDIAN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 33,200. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 8/26/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THIS INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN 1 YEAR, ON BOTH THE PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S SIDE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES ARE NOT LASTING DUE TO THE HEAT. THE FRONT BUMPER AND LEFT HEADLIGHT OF THE VOLVO WAS FOUND DAMAGED AS WELL AS THE LEFT FENDER. THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT THE TIRE FAILED DUE TO IMPACT OR ROAD HAZARD. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT THE TIRE WAS IMPROPERLY INFLATED. THERE WERE NO FAILURES FOUND WITH THE VALVE STEM. UPDATED 09/4/2013*JS

2012 PETERBILT TRACTOR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO POTENTIAL FIRE DEFECT. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECENTLY INVESTIGATED THE CAUSE OF A FIRE IN THE TRACTOR AND DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE RELATED TO A POTENTIAL DEFECT IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THE BATTERY CABLES WERE SUPPORTED. THE BATTERY CABLES PASSED FROM THE BATTERY BOX ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE TRACTOR, AT A POSITION BEHIND THE CAB, TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE BATTERY CABLES PASSED THE ELECTRONIC CLUTCH ACTUATOR, THEY WERE HELD IN PLACE BY A PLASTIC TIE. DUE TO DRIVE TRAIN VIBRATION AND MOVEMENT, THE PLASTIC TIE USED TO SECURE THE BATTERY CABLES TO THE CLUTCH ACTUATOR SHIELD WERE PRONE TO FAILURE. THE PLASTIC TIE BROKE AT SOME TIME DURING ITS SERVICE LIFE AND THE WEIGHT OF THE BATTERY CABLES CAUSED THEM TO MIGRATE TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE CLUTCH ACTUATOR SHIELD. MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE UNSECURED CABLES AND THE SHIELD, WHICH OCCURRED OVER TIME, ABRADED THE INSULATION OF ONE OF THE POSITIVE CABLES. ONCE THE ELECTRICAL INSULATION FAILED, THE CABLE ARCED AGAINST THE SHIELD, ENERGIZING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. UPDATED 7/1/13 ...UPDATED 10-24-13 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 PETERBILT 587. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THERE WAS A FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE HAD IGNITED. THE CABLES WERE ATTACHED TO THE ELECTRONIC CLUTCH ACTUATOR, WHICH HAD A PLASTIC COVER. THE PLASTIC TIE FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE BATTERY CABLES TO FAIL, ENERGIZING THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE BLOCK. THE HIGH HEAT CAUSED IT TO BECOME COMBUSTIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN BECAUSE OF THE FIRE DAMAGE. *TR UPDATED 7/2/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED DUE TO THE VIBRATION AND MOVEMENT, THE PLASTIC TIE USED TO SECURE THE BATTERY CABLES TO THE CLUTCH ACTUATOR SHEILD IS PRONE TO FAILURE. UPDATED 11/1/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TRACTOR TRAILER MODEL PETERBILT 579. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS DID NOT HAVE A PROTECTING GUARD AND ALLOWED WIND TURBULENCE TO CREATE WATER PUDDLES ON THE WINDOWS AND CAUSED OBSTRUCTION TO THE DRIVER'S VIEW. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE TRAILER WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,511.

2007 PETERBILT SEMI TRUCK. CONSUMER REQUESTS ASSISTANCE IN GETTING COMPANY TRUCK TESTED FOR EMISSION AND SEAL ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HER HUSBAND WAS FOUND DECEASED ON MARCH 26, 2012. THE CONSUMER STRONGLY BELIEVED, HER HUSBAND WAS A VICTIM OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. THE DECEDENT WAS FOUND IN AN IDLING TRUCK WITH ALL THE VENTS CLOSED OFF. THE AUTOPSY REPORT DESCRIBED HER HUSBAND AS HAVING FACIAL PLETHORA A SYMPTOM FOUND IN A DECEASED PERSON WITH CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.

TRUCK WAS SITTING UNATTENDED AND WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT AND BURNED ALL THE WIRING UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER ASKING AROUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ISN'T A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. IF A DRIVER IS ASLEEP IN THE SLEEPER AND THIS WERE TO HAPPEN THERE COULD BE A LOSS OF LIFE OR CRITICAL/SEVERE INJURY. *TR